CYP Now - Editorial - Play must be protected to halt its decline

Who would have thought that children's play could cause so much anxiety and concern? For instance, new research commissioned by Children Now reveals that nearly two-thirds of the general public are worried that children don't have enough opportunity to play outside (p4).

And, for the play sector, the situation is even more serious. With the original Children Bill, the Government came very close to ignoring children's need for play and recreation, and only backed down after vociferous complaints from children's professionals. Even now play is the one area that lacks any real substance in the legislation.

There are also concerns about play's missing millions. In 2001, the Government promised that 200m of Lottery money would be spent on play facilities. However councils and voluntary groups have still not seen a penny of this promise, and there is now a real fear that this money will be subsumed into larger Lottery pots and play will lose out.

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